Mechanochemical Synthesis of a Sodium Anion Complex [Na+(2,2,2-cryptand)Na-] and Studies of Its Reactivity: Two-Electron and One-Electron Reductions

\ua9 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society. Group 1 metal molecular chemistry is dominated by a +1 oxidation state, while a 0 oxidation state is widespread in the metals. A more exotic, yet still available, oxidation state of group 1 metal is −1, i.e., alkalide. Reported as early as the 1970s, the alkalides appear in every modern inorganic chemistry textbook as an iconic chemical curiosity, yet their reactivity remains unexplored. This is due to their synthetic hurdles. In this work, we report the first facile synthesis of the archetypical alkalide complex, [Na+(2,2,2-cryptand)Na-], which allows us to unveil a versatile reactivity profile of this once exotic species

Overfeeding, Autonomic Regulation and Metabolic Consequences

The autonomic nervous system plays an important role in the regulation of body processes in health and disease. Overfeeding and obesity (a disproportional increase of the fat mass of the body) are often accompanied by alterations in both sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic functions. The overfeeding-induced changes in autonomic outflow occur with typical symptoms such as adiposity and hyperinsulinemia. There might be a causal relationship between autonomic disturbances and the consequences of overfeeding and obesity. Therefore studies were designed to investigate autonomic functioning in experimentally and genetically hyperphagic rats. Special emphasis was given to the processes that are involved in the regulation of peripheral energy substrate homeostasis. The data revealed that overfeeding is accompanied by increased parasympathetic outflow. Typical indices of vagal activity (such as the cephalic insulin release during food ingestion) were increased in all our rat models for hyperphagia. Overfeeding was also accompanied by increased sympathetic tone, reflected by enhanced baseline plasma norepinephrine (NE) levels in both VMH-lesioned animals and rats rendered obese by hyperalimentation. Plasma levels of NE during exercise were, however, reduced in these two groups of animals. This diminished increase in the exercise-induced NE outflow could be normalized by prior food deprivation. It was concluded from these experiments that overfeeding is associated with increased parasympathetic and sympathetic tone. In models for hyperphagia that display a continuously elevated nutrient intake such as the VMH-lesioned and the overfed rat, this increased sympathetic tone was accompanied by a diminished NE response to exercise. This attenuated outflow of NE was directly related to the size of the fat reserves, indicating that the feedback mechanism from the periphery to the central nervous system is altered in the overfed state.

Anthropometric Variables Accurately Predict Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometric-Derived Body Composition and Can Be Used to Screen for Diabetes

The current world-wide epidemic of obesity has stimulated interest in developing simple screening methods to identify individuals with undiagnosed diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) or metabolic syndrome (MS). Prior work utilizing body composition obtained by sophisticated technology has shown that the ratio of abdominal fat to total fat is a good predictor for DM2 or MS. The goals of this study were to determine how well simple anthropometric variables predict the fat mass distribution as determined by dual energy x-ray absorptometry (DXA), and whether these are useful to screen for DM2 or MS within a population. To accomplish this, the body composition of 341 females spanning a wide range of body mass indices and with a 23% prevalence of DM2 and MS was determined using DXA. Stepwise linear regression models incorporating age, weight, height, waistline, and hipline predicted DXA body composition (i.e., fat mass, trunk fat, fat free mass, and total mass) with good accuracy. Using body composition as independent variables, nominal logistic regression was then performed to estimate the probability of DM2. The results show good discrimination with the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) having an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.78. The anthropometrically-derived body composition equations derived from the full DXA study group were then applied to a group of 1153 female patients selected from a general endocrinology practice. Similar to the smaller study group, the ROC from logistical regression using body composition had an AUC of 0.81 for the detection of DM2. These results are superior to screening based on questionnaires and compare favorably with published data derived from invasive testing, e.g., hemoglobin A1c. This anthropometric approach offers promise for the development of simple, inexpensive, non-invasive screening to identify individuals with metabolic dysfunction within large populations

The interphase chromatin special state zones

The possibility is demonstrated of RecA protein of E. coli introduction into eukaryotic cell with preservation of its biologicall activity. The character of this protein affinity to chromatin of different degree of condensation is shown on cytological level (undirect immunofluorescent method combined with cytophotometry) for different stages of cellular cycle (protein is not tested in meta- and anaphase chromosomes). The presence of bacterial RecA protein in the nuclei and cytoplasm of cells both in vitro and in vivo is confirmed with the help of immunoelectron microscopy. Studies were carried out on cultures of HeLa and Ltk⁻ cells and also in vivo on hepatocytes after direct injection on RecA protein and plasmid pKCR2 enclosed in liposomes into the liver of adult mice line BALB/c. Proceeding from the experimental data obtained and also considering the fact that RecA protein mainly connects with single-stranded DNA, the assumption is done about existence of special state chromatin zones (SSCZ). For these zones the active affinity to RecA protein serum is character with intensive fluorescence, thus they may correspond to some actively expressing genes, gathered in clusters.Показано можливість введення до еукаріотичної клітини RecA-білка Е. coli із збереженням його біологічної активності. На цитологічному рівні (непрямий імунофлюоресцентний метод з цитофотометрією) визначено характер зв'язування RecA- білка з хроматином різного ступеню спіралізації на окремих стадіях клітинного циклу (у мета- і анафазних хромосомах білок не тестується). Присутність бактеріального білка у цитоплазмі і ядрах клітин in vivo та in vitro підтверджена також імуноелектронною мікроскопією. Виходячи з отриманих експериментальних даних та враховуючи переважне зв'язування RecA-білка з онДНК, зроблено припущення про існування зон особливого стану хроматина (ЗOCX), які характеризуються активним зв'язуванням з сироваткою до бактеріального RecA-білка та інтенсивною флюоресценцією і можуть відповідати зібраним у кластери активно експресуючим генам. Експерименти виконано на культурах клітин HeLa і Ltk⁻, а також in vivo на гепатоцитах після прямого введення білка та плазміди pKCR2 у складі ліпосом до печінки дорослих мишей лінії BALB/c.Показана возможность введения в эукариотическую клетку RecA - белка Е. coli с сохранением его биологической активности . На цитологическом уровне (непрямой иммунофлюоресцентный метод с цитофотометрии ) определен характер связывания RecA - белка с хроматином разной степени спирализации на отдельных стадиях клеточного цикла (в мета- и анафазного хромосомах белок не тестируется ) . Присутствие бактериального белка в цитоплазме и ядрах клеток in vivo и in vitro подтверждено также имуноэлектронной микроскопией . Исходя из полученных экспериментальных данных и учитывая преимущественное связывание RecA - белка с онДНК , высказано предположение о существовании зон особого состояния хроматина ( ЗOCX ) , которые характеризуются активным связыванием с сывороткой к бактериальному RecA - белка и интенсивной флюоресценцией и могут соответствовать собранным в кластеры активно экспрессирующим генам . Эксперименты выполнены на культурах клеток HeLa и Ltk⁻ , ??а также in vivo на гепатоцитах после прямого введения белка и плазмиды pKCR2 в составе липосом в печени взрослых мышей линии BALB/c

Poorly controlled type 2 diabetes is accompanied by significant morphological and ultrastructural changes in both erythrocytes and in thrombin-generated fibrin: implications for diagnostics

We have noted in previous work, in a variety of inflammatory diseases, where iron dysregulation occurs, a strong tendency for erythrocytes to lose their normal discoid shape and to adopt a skewed morphology (as judged by their axial ratios in the light microscope and by their ultrastructure in the SEM). Similarly, the polymerization of fibrinogen, as induced in vitro by added thrombin, leads not to the common ‘spaghetti-like’ structures but to dense matted deposits. Type 2 diabetes is a known inflammatory disease. In the present work, we found that the axial ratio of the erythrocytes of poorly controlled (as suggested by increased HbA1c levels) type 2 diabetics was significantly increased, and that their fibrin morphologies were again highly aberrant. As judged by scanning electron microscopy and in the atomic force microscope, these could be reversed, to some degree, by the addition of the iron chelators deferoxamine (DFO) or deferasirox (DFX). As well as their demonstrated diagnostic significance, these morphological indicators may have prognostic value.Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (grant BB/L025752/1) as well as the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa.http://www.cardiab.com/hb201

Extremely short duration interval exercise improves 24-h glycaemia in men with type 2 diabetes

PurposeReduced-exertion high-intensity interval training (REHIT) is a genuinely time-efficient exercise intervention that improves aerobic capacity and blood pressure in men with type 2 diabetes. However, the acute effects of REHIT on 24-h glycaemia have not been examined.Methods11 men with type 2 diabetes (mean ± SD: age, 52 ± 6 years; BMI, 29.7 ± 3.1 kg/m2; HbA1c, 7.0 ± 0.8%) participated in a randomised, four-trial crossover study, with continual interstitial glucose measurements captured during a 24-h dietary-standardised period following either (1) no exercise (CON); (2) 30 min of continuous exercise (MICT); (3) 10 × 1 min at ~ 90 HRmax (HIIT; time commitment, ~ 25 min); and (4) 2 × 20 s ‘all-out’ sprints (REHIT; time commitment, 10 min).ResultsCompared to CON, mean 24-h glucose was lower following REHIT (mean ± 95%CI: − 0.58 ± 0.41 mmol/L, p = 0.008, d = 0.55) and tended to be lower with MICT (− 0.37 ± 0.41 mmol/L, p = 0.08, d = 0.35), but was not significantly altered following HIIT (− 0.37 ± 0.59 mmol/L, p = 0.31, d = 0.35). This seemed to be largely driven by a lower glycaemic response (area under the curve) to dinner following both REHIT and MICT (− 11%, p  0.9 for both) but not HIIT (− 4%, p = 0.22, d = 0.38). Time in hyperglycaemia appeared to be reduced with all three exercise conditions compared with CON (REHIT: − 112 ± 63 min, p = 0.002, d = 0.50; MICT: -115 ± 127 min, p = 0.08, d = 0.50; HIIT − 125 ± 122 min, p = 0.04, d = 0.54), whilst indices of glycaemic variability were not significantly altered.ConclusionREHIT may offer a genuinely time-efficient exercise option for improving 24-h glycaemia in men with type 2 diabetes and warrants further study